今天我学校要举办首届留学生汉语才艺大赛，有些学生要唱歌，有些要演短剧，我跟两个同学是主持人，还要参加比赛。 我跟两个日本同学要演一个短剧，构思是我想出来的，本子是我和我的中国朋友一起编的，故事挺逗的。你自己看看吧。。(There’s a singing and acting competion tonight for foreign students. Just one rule, only Chinese. Two other students and I are the host of the show. I’m also going to act in a play with two Japanese classmates. It should be fun. I came up with the idea for the story and my friend and I wrote it together. It’s pretty funny. I can’t promise a translation anytime soon though.)

一位潇洒的隐者，走在乡间的路上，碰见了两位漂亮的姑娘，他们之间会发生什么有趣的故事呢？

———- - -
道具：馒头，饭盒，脸盆，布鞋，草帽，大襟，唐装，斗笠，竹竿，包袱

第一幕
(隐者从台口走向台中心;姑娘1在台偏左耕地)
隐者：鞋儿破，帽儿破，身上的袈裟破；你笑我，他笑我，一把扇儿破, 南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，哎嘿 哎嘿。(隐者抬头看一下周围，脸上迷茫)
隐者：(自言自语)唉，我应该怎么走呢？(在周围寻找人，回头发现姑娘1)
隐者：(向姑娘1招手)嗨！
姑娘1：(微笑看着隐者，礼貌地挥挥手，然后继续耕田)
隐者：(思考的动作，又继续挥手)嗨。。。嗨！(招手示意姑娘1过来)
姑娘1：(明白了，放下工具，跑步到隐者面前)
隐者：姑娘，请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(疑惑HUO4看着隐者)
隐者：请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(用方言说)先生，请问你有什么事？
隐者：(挠挠头)哎，她说什么呢？
姑娘1：请问你有什么事？
隐者：哦，你会说普通话吗？
姑娘1：你到底说什么呢？
隐者：(低下头叹气)哦，我的神啊。我怎么跟她说啊。
(姑娘1转身要走，隐者拍姑娘1的肩膀把她叫住)
隐者： 我想去鸡。。。公。。。山。。。
姑娘1： (很不耐烦地说)对不起先生，我还有事，我先走了。(转身走了)
隐者： (拉住姑娘1的手)等等等。(拍着自己的胸口)我是个旅行者，(摆动手指表示走路)我想去鸡公山，鸡公你知道吗？(扮演一只鸡，手舞足蹈)
姑娘1：哦，原来你走了一天了，肚子很饿，是不是？但是我没有鸡，只有两个馒头。(跑回田里，拿出两个馒头，跑到隐者面前，伸手把馒头给隐者)
隐者：不不不。我说的是鸡公山(比划一个山)。
姑娘1：哦，你想去鸡公山啊。(拖住隐者手，手指指向鸡公山的方向)沿这条路直走，路口左转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转。。。
隐者： 好好好好，谢谢谢谢。
姑娘1：咦YI2，怎么那么快就明白了。(很开心地回去耕地)
隐者：(摇头，继续走)

第二幕
(隐者心情很低落慢慢地走半圈，姑娘2上台跟隐者迎面走来，隐者看到姑娘2很兴奋，准备上去问路，但是突然想到姑娘2可能不会说汉语，叹气自言自语说“唉，可能她也不会说普通话”，他继续走路。)
姑娘2：(看隐者似乎有事，用方言说) 先生，需要帮忙吗？
隐者： (听不明白，摇摇头) 反正妳听不明白我说什么。(就走了)
姑娘2：(用普通话说)我明白，我明白！
隐者： (转身) 真的？太好了！
姑娘2：你有什么需要帮忙的吗？
隐者： 妳知道鸡公山这个地方吗？
姑娘2: 知道，知道。
隐者： (这时候隐者非常开心)哈哈哈，太棒了！那妳知道怎么去吗？
姑娘2：(摇摇头)不知道。
隐者： (心情又低落了，低着头叹口气)为什么会这样?
姑娘2：你还需要其他帮忙吗？
隐者： (摇头说)不用了，不用了。
(姑娘和隐者分开走了)

第三幕
(隐者更加低落地走5，6步，猛然抬起来头开始想，对着观众说)
隐者：对了！这个姑娘会说普通话，但是不知道怎么去。那个姑娘知道怎么去，但是不会说普通话，如果我。。。。。(转身跑回去找姑娘2)
(姑娘2正在洗脸，隐者找到她，兴奋地对她说)
隐者：那个姑娘不会说，但知道在哪里，妳会说但不知道在怎么去，所以我想。。。
姑娘2：停！ 别着急，你到底想说什么。
隐者： 请妳帮我一个忙。妳跟我来，跟我来。(隐者拉着姑娘2的手往姑娘1跑过去)
(到台中站定，找一找姑娘1，发现姑娘1，隐者招手)
隐者: 喂！
(姑娘1跑步过来)
隐者：(隐者对姑娘2说)我想请你做翻译。帮我问她，鸡公山怎么去。
(姑娘2跟姑娘1商量，姑娘2点头说“哦，哦，明白了”。姑娘2转身对着隐者说)
姑娘2：(边说边动作)沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转直走就到了。
隐者： 哦，知道了。太感谢妳们了。我先走了。
姑娘1+2：一路平安！
(隐者转身又很潇洒地走了)
姑娘2：(用方言说)说这么多他记得住吗？沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转。。。
姑娘1：什么！你一开始跟他说是右转吗？！可是我跟妳说的是左转。
姑娘2：是吗！那我们赶快去追他！
(姑娘1+2跑步下台，边跑边喊”等一等，等一等！”)

I haven’t finished writing about my trip around Taiwan. Now I have another great adventure to write about…I got to get to it. This is just the beginning.

From Hong Kong I shipped my luggage to Beiing. At the post office I put my two bags into one big box. Had to take out a few things, some clothes and a pair of shoes. Guess I didn’t really need that pair of jeans I had since high school with a hole in the knee. I did want to keep my USWA sweat pants. They can all be bought again. When I had no luggage except a small bag and my fanny pack I was relieved and ready to start my trip.

Returned two travel books on China to the library. Met Uncle Tai to give him his key back. Met Cousin Jake and Auntie and we were off to Shenzhen by train.

Once out of customs and outside, the first thing I noticed different about China from Hong Kong and Taiwan were the squatters, the people sitting and squatting any and everywhere. I’d seen them before, just been a while I guess. While Auntie got her nails done Jake and I went for dimsum. I had the best Chinese twisted donught (油條) ever, it was very crispy and very white, that means they’re not using days old oil. The highlight of the day was the trip to the sauna (桑拿浴) where we had an hour foot massage and a two hour body massage for 150RMB or $20 after tips. I was really tired and woke up a little sick that day. My feet hurt from walking so much in Hong Kong. I got the fire cups and 推油 (tui1 you2), where they use like a baby oil and after they break you in with their elbows they use a fire cup and move it all around your back. I slept really well that night.

Met Susanna for dinner, Aunt Grace introduced me to her last year in Hong Kong. She’s like Aunt Grace’s neice. She hooked me up with a nice hotel room. Her friend is a travel agent. After I get a job and make some money I have a lot of favors to return.

拔得太厲害了! I still have a few marks. I think/hope
it’s from getting sun while I had the bruises.

I haven’t been to my Chinese class in a long time. Before Chinese New Year my teacher was busy and so was I. Over the holiday I said I would review and also finish this book on radicals. We finished one book and we planned on starting a new one after the break but my teacher got sick over the holiday. We stopped classes for a while. Since then I haven’t been going to the library much. Instead of studying in the books I’ve been studying the culture in other ways.

I’ve met a lot of different people. I studied some martial arts, learned about Chinese opera at the club and watched a few opera shows too. Took a Chinese chess class, went to an instrumental concert, drank with a few locals and went to two weddings. I enjoy learning about other cultures and it makes my time living here much more richer.

I saw this puppet show (布袋戯) for free at Zhongshan Hall. There were a lot of free shows/concerts during the Taipei Traditional Arts Festival. Glove puppets originated in Fujian province, where the majority of native Taiwanese come from. This show was so funny. They said it was a good one for kids because there is a lot of action. It’s about the Monkey King fighting evil deities. It was cool when the Monkey King was travelling great distances at high speed. To make it look like he was moving fast a yellow ribbon was waved back and forth underneath him as he leaped and ran across the stage. The show was in Taiwanese. So, I couldn’t understand the dialogue but I could understand some things that were happening. It was funny in the end when the deities were tricked by an old man and had to listen to his commands. He told them to lay flat on the ground (趴者), stand up (站起來), sit down (坐下), stand up and lay down again. He had them jumping all over the place.

The Wrestling Deities Jab the Monkey King (仙拼仙拼死猴齊天)

大唐時期樊梨花下凡幫助孫兒薛葵攻打交趾國，交趾國群妖佈置五毒金沙陣將樊梨花金身陷住陣中，孫臏向各路神仙求救，釋迦牟尼得知後令孫悟空帶金丹到金沙陣 中，讓樊氏含在口中以保住金身並幫孫臏破陣，因而引起東南兩二教主不滿，特召集東南二派神仙前來阻擋，引發二方爭鬥，各顯神通、各搬法寶，引發一場熱鬧有 趣、充滿想像力的神仙鬥法故事，讓人百看不厭。

I love this guy’s stance. It’s especially Chinese. There’s great detail in the movement of the puppets.

The weather was beautiful today. I couldn’t sit at home. I called up three friends. Didn’t reach any of them, so I headed out by myself. Took my bike on the metro from CKS Memorial to Guandu station. Got off and started towards Danshui.

My first stop was Guandu Temple (關渡宮). This temple is huge. It’s built into the side of a hill. There’s a long cave that leads to one of the temple’s 10 gods that are worshipped. Also, there’s a park on top of the hill where you can find some nice views of the river.

I made it to Danshui around 3:30pm. I’ve walked along the boardwalk and old street before. I came upon the Danshui Church founded by George Leslie Mackay. He was a missionary from Canada that started a clinic in 1872. The clinic has been restored and on Sundays there are some young people around to introduce the clinic, the church and George Leslie Mackay’s story. They made part of the clinic into a small cafe and they serve tea and coffee for free.

I told them I wanted to eat 刮包 (gua bao). They asked me why. I said because it taste good and it’s like a Taiwanese hamburger. They suggested I try 阿給 (A-Gei). It’s thin mung bean vermicelli noodles wrapped in tofu (豆腐包冬粉), steamed and then served with a special sauce. I had it before and didn’t take a liking to it. This time I did. You can see the lines in the photo. There’s one for eating inside (内用區) and one for take away (外帶區) and they’re always busy. They sell three things, 阿給 30NT), steamed pork buns (大肉包 15NT) and fish ball soup (魚丸湯 20NT). That’s it. This shop is next to Wenhua Elementary school and is called Wenhua A-Gei (文化阿給).

I feel like I’m writing for Lonely Planet. I need to cut down my blog writing time. I rode my bike 25km (15mi) today. It’s bedtime.

The last picture I took because I always get a kick out of mothers in Taiwan stopping their kids as they walk along the sidewalk to pull up their boy’s pants, well above their waist. I missed the pulling up action but you can see the height of the pants. So, you know why when some men in Taiwan wear their pants way up high like Urkel, they’re either the ones that always listened to mom or just used to it.

Oh, I forgot to say that I rode home from Danshui along the Danshui River and part of the Keelung River. Riding along the riverside at night is nice.